Beauty for Ashes (Musaicum Romance Classics). Grace Livingston Hill

presence in office imperative to-day.

       Important news from England just arrived.

       Gloria's father turned troubled eyes upon her.

      "I'm sorry," he said, "I've got to go home at once. I'll have to fly if I can catch a plane in time. Will you stay here? I can probably return to-morrow or the next day. Or will you go with me? I could send the chauffeur up on the train to bring down the car."

      Gloria's eyes took on a look of panic. "Oh, I'd rather not go home–yet!" she pleaded. "Would it be all right for me to stay here a little while longer?" Her eyes sought Mrs. Weatherby's face, which reassured her.

      "Sure, you're as welcome as the spring in winter!" exclaimed John Hastings, pulling out his chair from the breakfast table. "And Mr. Sutherland, you've time to eat your breakfast." He looked at his watch. "I'll drive you down to the airport. There's a plane that leaves about the time we'll get there. I've gone on it myself."

      In ten minutes more they were on their way, for Gloria decided to ride down and see her father off into the sky.

      They sat together in the backseat with the Hastings in front.

      "I'm afraid you're going to be mighty lonesome," said the father, taking his distracted mind from his business for a glimpse at his daughter.

      "No," said Gloria, "I'll be all right. I've got some thinking to do while you're gone, and I found a lot of old books in the parlor bookcase. I'm going to sit in the hammock on the porch and read between thinks."

      She kept up a cheerful front till he had kissed her and gone, even until the plane was a mere speck in the distance. Then suddenly there descended upon her a sick feeling of desolation. Why had she let him go without her? Why had she not gone along with him?

      And like a great bird of prey, all the burden of her sorrow and the shame of Stan's death came down upon her terror-stricken soul. How was she going to endure the days without her father?